A Warm Welcome to the Mount Carmel Hospital Maternity Unit
Mount Carmel Hospital Maternity Unit prides itself on providing a supportive, nurturing and informative environment for expectant parents and their baby, before, during and after the birth.
Mount Carmel HospitalThe philosophy at Mount Carmel is to create a positive birthing experience. Here at the Maternity Unit, we provide total care for you and your new baby. From pregnancy to the first months of motherhood, we are here to support, guide and care for you.
Preparation for the big event
As an expectant mother attending Mount Carmel you are under the care of your own consultant.
Your consultant will monitor carefully and inform you thoroughly of the progress of your pregnancy and will also answer any questions you may have. There are a number of ante-natal class options available to help you prepare as fully as possible for the birth of your baby. One aspect of your ante-natal care is the ultrasound. Our maternity unit is equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
- Early pregnancy and Ultrasound services
- Ante-natal classes
- Physiotherapy
The Big Event
On admission to Mount Carmel you will meet the midwife who will assess your condition and liaise with the consultant to plan your care. You will meet the obstetrician at the delivery. We support natural childbirth, and also facilitate mothers choice of pain relief.
- Analgesia
- Paediatric Care
Post Delivery
Mount Carmel encourages new mothers to have their newborn baby in their room, which is known as ‘rooming-in’. This involves caring for your baby yourself so that you can get to know your newborn, whilst having the reassurance of midwives available to assist if necessary. Research shows that mothers and babies benefit from having close and easy access to one another to promote bonding. We encourage you to reduce visitors as much as possible to enable you to have quality and quiet time with your newborn.There is a nursery facility available should you require it. High quality meals are served three times daily to your room, available to order from a menu. We can
also cater for any special dietary requirements you may have.
During your stay and to ensure the wellbeing of both you and your baby, a wide range
of checks will be carried out including:
for mother
- Your midwife will conduct a post-natal check daily
- You will be given support and advice on feeding your baby
- You will be educated to promote confidence in care of your baby
- post-discharge
- You will be shown how to bathe your baby safely
for baby
- A full physical examination will be carried out by your paediatrician soon after birth
- A daily check will be carried out by the midwife and paediatrician
- Baby will be weighed immediately after birth and prior to discharge.
- It is normal for your baby to lose up to 10% of his/her birth weight in the first few days, which may take up to 2 weeks to regain
- Your baby may have a BCG injection while an in-patient pending suitability for administration
- A Guthrie test* may be done while an in-patient. This test is carried out on all babies to test for metabolic disorders. It involves taking a few drops of blood from your baby’s heel
- If the above are not carried out while an in-patient, they may be arranged with your public health nurse after discharge. In the case of the heel test, you will be informed of the results if a problem has been detected or a repeat sample is required
- During your stay, a Birth Registration Officer will visit you and discuss registration details of your newborn baby.
